Crusader Kings III

 PC
User Score
8.4

Generally favorable reviews- based on 712 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 586 out of 712
  2. Mixed: 71 out of 712
  3. Negative: 55 out of 712

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  1. shurick
    Sep 2, 2020
    10
    Wonderfully crafted game that will only get better with age and DLC :) Some annoying things from CK2 are gone but they have managed to not dumb it down which is great! New Menu and tooltip layout will take some getting used to but overall its a huge step forward. Characters are wonderful and you definitely feel more involved controlling their destiny.
  2. SebastiedJuan
    Mar 3, 2022
    3
    Nice bubble simulator
    They create a great game, potentially AMAZING and an history masterpiece around the stupid basic idea of a common MAP PAINTER.
    If they can fix this in futures Dlc (making hard way to conquer the world, make this impossoble with a lot of mecanism that they can put in, and focusing more on the rest of the expirience) the game can ideally easly get a 9,5 because yes,    Nice bubble simulator
    They create a great game, potentially AMAZING and an history masterpiece around the stupid basic idea of a common MAP PAINTER.
    If they can fix this in futures Dlc (making hard way to conquer the world, make this impossoble with a lot of mecanism that they can put in, and focusing more on the rest of the expirience) the game can ideally easly get a 9,5 because yes, this game can really be a total giant masterpiece, but it is not, for that reasons.
    I.a. totally broken and is a shame for a strategik games. Game deserve a 6 or a 7 but i give 0 cause reviews are unfairs.    … Expand
  3. PatrikPotter
    Dec 20, 2020
    8
    My personal Review for Crusader Kings III
    Story:9/10 (You and the AI`s around you make the story which is mostly different every playthrough)
    Graphics:7/10
    Music:8/10
    Gameplay:9/10
    Sound:7/10
    Crusader Kings III is a must play if you are a fan of Strategy games.
  4. Mjolkurferna
    Jan 6, 2021
    9
    Crusader Kings III is in my opinion one of the best games to come out 2020 along with Hades and Half-Life: Alyx. The game is timeless and when you start up a new save you never know what events or situation you might find yourself in.

    Pros: - Timeless gameplay and story making. - Beautiful soundtrack. - Good graphics. - Bright future from the modding communities. (Biggest one is    Crusader Kings III is in my opinion one of the best games to come out 2020 along with Hades and Half-Life: Alyx. The game is timeless and when you start up a new save you never know what events or situation you might find yourself in.

    Pros:
    - Timeless gameplay and story making.
    - Beautiful soundtrack.
    - Good graphics.
    - Bright future from the modding communities. (Biggest one is usually the Game of Thrones one.).

    Cons:
    - The game has a difficult learning curve and people could be overwhelmed by it. I personally like the learning curve but I can see people having problem with it.

    Verdict - 9/10, full price worth.    … Expand
  5. sebastian95_
    Jul 31, 2021
    10
    Mecha⚡ ⚡ todo lo que hice en esta vida
  6. vitolo
    Sep 13, 2021
    9
    A feature rich masterpiece that has infinite replayability. You can be a cannibal mongol, a converso convert in castille that ironically does reconquista, a christian persian shah that deislamizes persia and conquers the caliphate in baghdad, a viking jarl that creates mega norway and converts England to paganism. Buy it right now...
  7. LordEdition
    Nov 2, 2021
    10
    Ради таких игр готов играть на ПК! Живая и очень красивая .
  8. GamerViktor
    Jan 4, 2022
    10
    This is legitimately one of the best games I've ever played.

    10/10 would castrate my uncle again.
  9. Cronus865
    Sep 2, 2020
    8
    Probably the best "base" game Paradox has released. It's still not near CK2, but has a really solid foundation to build on.
  10. AllNewSuperfake
    Oct 31, 2022
    6
    Updated (-2) Instead of repairing the flaws of the game, overpriced DLC - including stuff that used to be free in the predecessor - has hit the market, and loading times as well as frequent crashes tell me that the architecture of the base game can't really hold them. Something like the autosave being highly unreliable in a game like this is simply unacceptable, and yet Paradox blames itUpdated (-2) Instead of repairing the flaws of the game, overpriced DLC - including stuff that used to be free in the predecessor - has hit the market, and loading times as well as frequent crashes tell me that the architecture of the base game can't really hold them. Something like the autosave being highly unreliable in a game like this is simply unacceptable, and yet Paradox blames it on mods even if users point out that they don't use them.

    It has all the addictive qualities of it's predecessor, and has become more accessible. The 3D models of your characters are a huge improvement and emphasize that the focus of this game is more on the roleplaying aspects than, for example, Europa Universalis.

    Even though it has it's hick-ups and is cheating a lot, the AI manages to create a dynamic world that will redefine European history every time you start over, and I will never not find the results hilarious. Observing the competition while constantly (and most of the time unsuccessfully) trying to keep your own dynasty in check will never get boring; following the lives of even the most unimportant peasants can tell wonderful stories down the path.

    The expanded religion system is the second big improvement that makes Crusader Kings 3 worth buying. The only downside to religious as well as personal traits is that the AI doesn't really roleplay at all; too many entities on the map are cheating, lying, fornicating warlords that will turn into child-murdering cannibals if you give them the chance, no matter how peaceful, calm and honest they are in theory.

    Right now there are balancing issues, especially when it comes to the AI using female characters as anything but currency in negotiating alliances, that hopefully will get addressed in future patches. Alliances itself, especially if you need them in your wars, are another thing that needs to be fixed.

    Still, as of now this is a game worth playing over and over again, and where losing is just as much fun as succeeding. Even though it's missing the long, long, LOOONG line of DLCs that CK2 had, it already feels quite complete; as a matter of fact I feel like someone cut all the fat away. At the same time there's already a promising modding community out there, so this game's future looks like a 9+.    … Expand
  11. nightcritic
    Sep 2, 2020
    10
    This game is truly amazing and an absolute improvement over CK2 in almost every way.
    There are so many mechanics and fixes for the worst aspects of CK2 while improving on it in almost every way.
    I've thoroughly enjoyed every moment playing this gem.
  12. Baroqua
    Sep 2, 2020
    10
    I feel that some quality of life features are missing, though with a lot of new content it sure is hard to go back to it's predecessor. With how much I enjoyed CK2 that makes this a solid 10/10.
  13. zugidor
    Sep 2, 2020
    10
    A very polished medieval dynasty sim/grand strategy/rpg, probably the best base game by Paradox Interactive which will only grow with updates and DLC content. It leans into CK2's strengths by expanding on the role-playing aspects of this Grand Strategy game, which truly helps it stand out from other games in the genre. It is very open to modding too, so expect the community scene toA very polished medieval dynasty sim/grand strategy/rpg, probably the best base game by Paradox Interactive which will only grow with updates and DLC content. It leans into CK2's strengths by expanding on the role-playing aspects of this Grand Strategy game, which truly helps it stand out from other games in the genre. It is very open to modding too, so expect the community scene to flourish. Highly recommend even to people who have never played a grand strategy game before, as it really eases the player into the game's deep mechanics (wonderful tutorial and in-game encyclopedia). Audio and visuals are not flashy but subtly accentuate the experience. It is clear this is a labour of love.… Expand
  14. MaXiMuS_54
    Sep 2, 2020
    8
    The game provides a lot more streamlined stable experience and the game runs very smooth, you can go very fast on 5 speed. Some mechanics were made a lot easier like transfering titles to characters, but it still needs a long way to go to fleshing out mechanics like CK2 has. The game can be quite a mess within a 100 years and the game certainly needs polish.
  15. wojownik133
    Dec 13, 2020
    10
    I really like it and I'm waiting for new DLC. The game seems to have the majority of its game flavours within Europan region but still has a well balanced start and is addictive to play.
  16. SkoneOke123
    Dec 15, 2020
    10
    Absolute strategy masterpiece, the best game of 2020 by far. Also much more beginner friendly then other paradox games.
  17. IKamin
    Feb 18, 2021
    0
    The game is great, but... The Tsardom of Russia (predecessor state to the Russian Empire) historically wasn't formed until 1547. It is not historically accurate to name Kievan Rus this way.
  18. Drake696
    Sep 2, 2020
    9
    The game is unreal. I'm enjoying every hour I've spent. If you liked crusader kings, this one will please even more.
  19. Sheleshka
    Sep 2, 2020
    10
    Paradox Interactive created a masterpiece. The game looks 10, and soon with new additions will be even better, this game is a worthy successor to the second part
  20. HairyFireBird
    Sep 2, 2020
    10
    Fantastic game! While definitely not as expansive as it's predecessor (Due to it's numerable DLC) That will be fixed by , I imagine, tons of post launch love. For now, we have a game that runs smooth as butter, and is more of a Grand Strategy/Storytelling RPG than anything else. Been playing as a Count of East Francia starting in 867 and trying to rise to the rank of Holy Roman Empire, andFantastic game! While definitely not as expansive as it's predecessor (Due to it's numerable DLC) That will be fixed by , I imagine, tons of post launch love. For now, we have a game that runs smooth as butter, and is more of a Grand Strategy/Storytelling RPG than anything else. Been playing as a Count of East Francia starting in 867 and trying to rise to the rank of Holy Roman Empire, and while it hasn't been easy, the challenge it provides is exactly what I am looking for. Achievements are way better compared to CK2's achievements (Some of which are just plain annoying to try and get.) Overall, while I only have a few hours on the books, I am blown away by the step up this is, and look forward to the 30-40 DLC that will make this game amazing as it's predecessor.… Expand
  21. Fireantus
    Sep 4, 2020
    10
    It doesn't deserve a 10 but need to put it to counterbalance some salty fools giving it way too low. It feels like the best, richest base game Paradox released as of late - plenty of events, stories, traits, combos, skills and features to fiddle with. Each culture brings unique flavours and minor system, each character can spec into one of 5 grand skills that chance the gameplay focusIt doesn't deserve a 10 but need to put it to counterbalance some salty fools giving it way too low. It feels like the best, richest base game Paradox released as of late - plenty of events, stories, traits, combos, skills and features to fiddle with. Each culture brings unique flavours and minor system, each character can spec into one of 5 grand skills that chance the gameplay focus quite a lot and then each of that can specialize further into three branches, each offering unique events, challenges and outcomes. It is not endless by any means, but the depth offered as a start of a surely huge base of DLCs to come it is pretty rich and extensive, so kudos for that - it is, indeed, a time sink you can dig into pretty hard.

    The accessibility of it piss of some old grumps, because they feel they are loosing their 'Elite' feel with more casual players being able to pick it up, but as a big UX/UI lover, I am delighted to see how they streamlined SO MANY processes, options and info-dumps. Getting all the information you need to make any decision is much easier, the combat is informative, fluid and easy to grasp while still offering quite a bit to fiddle with (Prowess, Knights efficiency, Rock-Paper-Scissor of Men-At-Arms and their terrains bonuses, buildings that improve them in some ways, personal skills of the commanders). Despite that, the game even give you a banal tooltip before moving into combat straightforwardly telling you the chances of losing or winning. It's elegant. It's quick. And easy to step into.

    Easy to step into should be a tagline for this game. Despite it having layers of stuff to learn and explore (Faith rules and actions, realms laws and management, county upgrades, decisions, court management, vassals management, to name the key ones!) all is laid out as clean as possible, neatly ordered, put together with clever simplicity, almost guiding you to always be able to see what you need to see to play without frustration.

    It is, by far, the best of their Grand Strategies to begin the adventure with the genre right now. I am tempted to say it is also most forgiving due to the Dyunasty system (you don't lose the game as long as you have a heir to jump onto, so even dramatic loses to the realm ain't a Game Over), but that would be a bit much - the game still offers a steep learning curve that will require your attention, focus and constant rerolling ;)    … Expand
  22. Dmor
    Sep 5, 2020
    10
    masterpiece of a game, as a fan of the CK series and all strategy sim games I can say this one is the one that makes me stick. Definitely a 10K+ hour game for me! Which I was a couple K off from the previous game. >:(
  23. Birleone
    Sep 3, 2020
    9
    This game is masterfully designed! everything is crafted in such a manner, where every action has consequences, just like in real life! the from the character models to map size and everything in between theres nothing that one could consider to be a filler. the tutorial is amazing. im new to the CK series but the tutorial for this game just eases me into the experience. this game is worthThis game is masterfully designed! everything is crafted in such a manner, where every action has consequences, just like in real life! the from the character models to map size and everything in between theres nothing that one could consider to be a filler. the tutorial is amazing. im new to the CK series but the tutorial for this game just eases me into the experience. this game is worth playing. Definitely my Game of the Year!… Expand
  24. zytros
    Sep 9, 2020
    10
    I made an account just to say how incredible this game is coming from just Standalone compared to CK2 the difference is just- its the same game but I can't even imagine going back to CK2. CK2 is dialup and you never knew you needed modern internet. My favorite parts are the random events and the ability to uncover secrets, Characters are really fleshed out in part because of this. TheresI made an account just to say how incredible this game is coming from just Standalone compared to CK2 the difference is just- its the same game but I can't even imagine going back to CK2. CK2 is dialup and you never knew you needed modern internet. My favorite parts are the random events and the ability to uncover secrets, Characters are really fleshed out in part because of this. Theres also so many interwoven options that change the game. Such as choosing traits at the cost of stress which can lower your lifespan and have you commit ''outburts'' once you obtain a 100%. Some of the most hilarious secrets I've uncovered have been made by my Albino spymaster; the King of England is having incestuous relations with his son the bishop! Then choosing to publicly announce the sins OR blackmail them for cash or actions! They can give up territory with a strong hook lol OR be hated on by there Church affiliation and there people. It's pretty great. I expected a CK2 resale which rarely had interesting random event moments and a by comparison boring intrigue system. They did there work and its breathed in new life to a great game.… Expand
  25. Eorliga
    Sep 7, 2020
    10
    Just a perfect game. CK2 was my favorite game, maybe CK3 is my future favorite game.
  26. Aorta668
    Sep 10, 2020
    10
    Great game, nice more intuitive interface. More improved gameplay compared to the second part
  27. GraysonGoose
    Sep 2, 2020
    10
    PDX delivered! CKIII improves upon its 8-year-old predecessor in almost every way. A beautifully crafted game that comes alive and where your choices matter. CKIII is the new standard for grand strategy and emergent story gameplay.
  28. frste26
    Sep 3, 2020
    9
    It's great so far, really a worthy successor to CK2 can't wait to see how the game will grow in the future.

    Sure there are some smaller issues with UI and trimmed down filters and such but overall it's a great strategy game.
  29. halvor
    Sep 3, 2020
    10
    Best strategy game in recent years (there aren't many to pick from anymore). Wonderful blend with some rpg element.
  30. VALTURY
    Dec 24, 2020
    0
    Historical game? Ukrainian lands (Rus`) called Russia. It`s big mistake, on CK2 all right - Ruthenia (Ukraine) - was Rus`, why in new chapter u call this land like Russia?
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Awards & Rankings

4
#4 Best PC Game of 2020
28
#28 Most Discussed PC Game of 2020

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
91

Universal acclaim - based on 61 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 61 out of 61
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 61
  3. Negative: 0 out of 61
  1. Softpedia
    Feb 16, 2022
    90
    Crusader Kings III has good mechanics and production but what sets it apart is the way it connects to the era it depicts. The experience leans into role-playing and personalities in a way that feels true to the image that most players have about the period between 867 to 1453. Without striving to be educational, the Paradox title also manages to be an excellent jumping-off point to learn more about the period, its main characters, its social dynamics. The development studio has also done well when it comes to post-launch support. There’s downloadable content, of course, but free patches have also arrived regularly, improving systems and eliminating bugs. But more work is needed both in the balance and the immersion department. Crusader Kings III is an excellent way to tell and enjoy stories and I can’t wait to experience how Paradox will add depth to its various mechanics.
    Read full review
  2. CD-Action
    Nov 16, 2020
    90
    A worthy successor to Crusader Kings II. Right now, it is not as deep and demanding as its predecessor with all its expansions installed, but it still is an excellent strategy game. For newcomers it’s a great way to dive into the world of crowned tyrants, treacherous vassals, unfaithful wives, and inconvenient babies strangled in their cradles. [11/2020, p.56]
  3. Game World Navigator Magazine
    Oct 21, 2020
    92
    Crusader Kings III is definitely a success. The developers made a huge self-evolving world where the players can do as they please. It’s unrivaled both in scale and level of detail. [Issue#248, p.68]
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